Metamorphosis
by 263Adder
Summary: Inside the Commission there is a faction which wants to prevent the apocalypse and, having decided Five's attempts are proving futile, take it into their own hands to bring Vanya's powers to light earlier in the timeline. OR, the power swap fic no one asked for (except several people when I stupidly voiced my silly idea aloud). Science for Geniuses, Love for Dummies Part 2.
1. Egg

This was prompted by the Scooby Doo movie (yep, the live action one from 2002) and the body swap scene. Thanks to El, Storm, Wren and Emma for the ideas they gave me after I mentioned my first thoughts!

* * *

Phillip (his most recently assumed name) pushed past the slightly sticky door and entered the dimly lit bar. As clandestine rendezvous points went, the bar was almost painfully apt. In fitting with the era, the room was clouded with cigarette smoke, men's hats pulled low on their brows as they hunched over their post-work drinks, and barely distinguishable music wafted in from the edges.

His contact was waiting for him at a corner table, his back pressed against the wall as he warily watched the exits for unwanted visitors.

"How you people keep getting these on me, I'll never know." Phillip grumbled as he sat opposite him, throwing yet another tracker onto the table.

"You're not as vigilant as you think you are."

Watching him for a moment, tapping at the edge of his empty glass, Phillip knew he was sitting before an expert in paranoia. "What am I calling you?"

"Frank."

"Phillip." He returned.

"I know." Frank said, cracking his first smile of the evening.

"Fuck you. Seriously, how?" Phillip asked, picking the tracker up to wave in Frank's face.

"Seniority buys you a lot of information in an agency such as ours." Frank replied vaguely, gesticulating lazily to the bartender for another round.

"That doesn't help me."

"No, but I will."

"In exchange for what?" A portion of his soul perhaps?

Frank motioned for Phillip to stay quiet as the bartender came over to pour him another drink.

Declining one, Phillip watched the man leave until he chanced speaking again.

"I'm not coming out of retirement."

"I don't want you to."

He blinked at that. All they ever wanted was their agents on the job or in a grave.

"But you do want me on a job?"

Frank nodded slowly. "That I do."

"Well you can stuff it." Phillip said. Like hell he was getting dragged into their nonsense again. He was in a good decade, he'd live out his life uninterrupted even if he did have to spend most of it running.

"You know our long-term plan, yes?" Frank asked; only he wasn't really asking. Everyone in the agency knew how it ended.

"Sure. Why do you think I asked to be sent back here instead of to my own time? Who wants to go out in fire when they can die in their own bed?"

"No one." Frank muttered, taking a long sip of his drink.

Phillip snorted. "That's not true. The agency does. You do."

"It may surprise you to learn Tango, that our long-term plan is not fully accepted. Even by those at the top." His glass clunked dully on the wood as he set it down, a hand coming up to tiredly rub over his face.

The sound of his old codename made him flinch but his voice stayed level. "You expect me to believe that?"

"You think we would have allowed Five to operate for as long as he had if there weren't people looking out for him? Willing to support his aims?"

"There's no stopping him." Phillip dismissed. He'd never worked with the agent but his reputation as the agency's best was well known. Perhaps the only person out there who stood a real chance against them.

It was Frank's turn to laugh; a hollow laugh which made Phillip doubt his existence. "We have the power to stop everyone and anyone. We could even stop her if we wanted to. Well, I do want to."

"Even if that's true, the other's would never allow it."

"They can't stop what they don't know." Frank corrected. "I, and a few trusted others, have always operated in the dark to support Five's attempts to stop the end of days. Originally I had thought him capable of altering events on his own. Now I see if events truly are to change I must involve my own hand, in spite of the risk it may bring to me and mine."

He leant back to pick something up from the floor; a cardboard box which he set on their table.

"You'd get me killed."

"No I won't. Not if you follow my instructions to the letter."

"You can't know that."

"I can actually." Frank said, polishing off his drink. "I oversee predictions: calculating the probability of events, figuring out what catalysts will produce them. And I have been working on this plan for a long time – from the first time. She really was an unexpected wrench; we didn't even notice her and then," his hand rose to mimic a bang, "extraordinary really. I would like to meet her one day."

His tone was fond as he described the malefactor.

"A horrific accident, yet instead of righting it many of us took it as a sign that the time had come for us to cease our operations. Retirement for some, rebirth for others.

"I began to trace the origins of the event. So simple to correct really, it would barely take a few years of work. One or two agents. Nothing to us. Yet when I and my supporters argued for its correction we were defeated and had to agree to the plan for our own preservation. When Five was detected in the aftertimes, I thought this external force would lead to a correction of events regardless of the agency's stance. Now I know more needs to be done. I cannot be a passive hand any longer – and I require your help."

"Why me?"

"You have the required skill set..."

"So do a lot of agents." Phillip said, cutting him off.

"You have previously voiced doubt to the final plan..."

"As have a lot of agents."

"And, truthfully, you are in the right time and of the right age." Frank finished. "Because, I'm sorry to say, this mission – if you choose to take it – will take quite some time. Our devices are too closely monitored to risk you using them. This is a mission that requires patience and a number of birthdays.

"I will help you disappear. Properly this time," Frank said disapprovingly, "allowing you to live out the next several decades in peace, comfort and in any other manner you choose. You can get married, have children, anything you like so long as it's out of the limelight. Staying out of sight is the only requisite for the next fifty years. Then, in 2002 I need you to deliver this."

Frank pushed the box across the table towards Phillip.

"The device inside will act as a catalyst, changing the outcome. Ensure you get it to this contact," a folded piece of paper was placed atop of the box, "and keep your distance. We cannot risk our involvement becoming known too early in the game. Not if we are to stand a chance of winning."

"Fifty years of peace?" Phillip asked dubiously.

"You'll die, peacefully, two days after your mission is completed - of old age. In your own bed. Or," Frank countered, "you can continue your slapdash methods and be discovered by the agency in three months when you will be given the option of continued service or execution."

Watching him digest his warning, Frank leaned back in his chair.

"So. What do you say? Are you with us? Or are you going to die on the 27th January, 1952?"

Phillip waved to the bartender for a drink.

* * *

They all stared down at the cardboard box sitting conspicuously in the middle of the shop floor.

"What do you think it is?" Klaus asked, nudging the corner of it with his foot.

"Klaus, you idiot!" Diego hissed. "There could be a bomb in there!

Klaus quickly withdrew his foot. "Do ya think?"

"The men who had it seemed awfully keen to get rid of it." Five mused.

Their mission had barely lasted a quarter of an hour, the criminals fleeing at the first opportunity. Allison had been able to rumour them into stopping and dropping their weapons, after which the police took over and carted the three men away. The wares they had attempted to steal from the jewellery store were handed back over to the owners, and the crime scene was being repaired around them as the Academy stared at the only remaining loose end.

"I vote we leave it for the police to handle." Klaus declared. "Yo, police!"

"Shut up, Four." Luther snapped, waving off the officer who started to approach them. "Let's just open it, then we'll know. We shouldn't risk civilians."

Without waiting for additional comments, he stooped forwards and pulled open the top of the package.

Inside there sat a bizarre looking object: gold, pyramidical and covered in symbols which looked as though they originated in an ancient and no longer used language.

"Looks like some kind of tech." Diego suggested, dropping down to crowd over Luther's shoulder - much to Number One's annoyance.

"Dad and Pogo will know. We should take it back with us." Luther said.

"Tech?" Ben asked Diego, ignoring Luther. "Are you sure? Looks more like an artefact to me. Maybe something from the store?"

"The owner said the bad guys brought this box in with them." Diego refuted.

Five bent over the box to survey it with a critical eye. "Maybe it's a weapon? Something they brought to knock out the store's surveillance. Except it's the middle of the working day, lots of witnesses to identify them." He added, dismissing his own theory as soon as he voiced it. "Something to use against the police perhaps?"

"Does it open?" Klaus asked, yanking the object up in his hands before anyone could tell him not to.

"Klaus!" Allison scolded. "Luther's right, we should just give it to Dad."

"It looks like these edges open." Klaus said, ignoring his sister. He ran a finger along one of the seams. As he did, the three sides sprung open. "Oh cool."

The six children collectively flinched as a light emerged, extinguishing almost as quickly as it had ignited.

"What the fuck was that?" Diego hissed.

"I don't know, but my stomach feels weird." Klaus said, leaning against Five for support. Five immediately pushed him away.

"Get off."

"Meanie."

Luther groaned, rubbing the side of his head roughly. "Not here, guys. Put whatever it is back in the box, Klaus. We're taking it home. Fall out."

Klaus followed Number One's order without complaint, which was an increasing rarity for him. But with his stomach coiling uncomfortably, suddenly the thought of going home - horrible place though it was - sounded pretty good.

Picking up the box, Luther lead the team back outside to the car where Sir Reginald, Vanya and Abhijat were waiting for them.

Ignoring the press who tried to ask questions and request pictures, the six marched into the car and took their expected places.

"Take us home." Reginald instructed Abhijat, raising the divider between the rear and front seats before his bodyguard could respond with an affirmative.

"Father, we found this." Luther said, settling the box on his lap. "The criminals brought it with them during the robbery. It appears to be some kind of artefact, or maybe technology of some kind."

"Pogo will examine it once we return." Reginald replied in clipped tones. He paid no mind of the box, and as usual offered no words of praise to his adopted children for completing their mission quickly and effectively.

"Are you okay, V?" Six whispered, having taken the seat next to their seventh member. She looked even paler than she had when they'd all exited the vehicle to start their mission.

"Yeah, my head just hurts a bit."

"Mine too." Six replied, though he was pleasantly surprised by how quiet the eldritch were being; considering they hadn't been let out for the mission. Usually they would be thrashing against him in frustration for being denied blood.

"Children." Reginald warned, his voice ushering in the usual wave of obedient silence.

They remained quiet for the rest of the journey home, each of the children wondering why they felt as though they'd left something behind but not daring to voice the feeling aloud.

* * *

I will try to update this as soon as I can but as my regular readers know I'm having extreme computer problems, so it depends on my access to computers and my patience trying to write on a tablet.

Please let me know your thoughts, I hope the opening with two OCs wasn't off putting but I wanted to give context before diving into the rest of the fic which will focus on the siblings.

Love to all 3


	2. Chrysalis

Vanya had been staring intently at her knees, trying to avoid attracting the attention of Sir Reginald who sat opposite her with his stopwatch ticking away.

She had enough experience of accompanying the others on missions to know it could be awhile until they came back. A part of her wished they had left her at home so she could spend the time waiting for their hopefully safe return more proactively; however, another part of her was elated to be beyond the confines of the house again. Weeks on end being holed up at the Academy, spacious as it was, was enough to drive even the most iron willed person insane.

A surge in activity outside caused Vanya to tentatively raise her head to look out the window where she saw police officers leading three men to the waiting squadron cars.

"Don't get close to the window, Number Seven." Reginald instructed. His eyes remained fixed on the time: it was eerie how he seemed to follow her every movement without looking at her.

"Sorry." She mumbled, dropping her head once more. As she did, she felt a sudden tightness behind her eyes and a restlessness wash over her stomach. Vanya put it down to the delay in having lunch and the stress of being left alone with Sir Reginald and his bodyguard.

As she was once again focused on her somewhat knobbly knees, Vanya was caught off guard when her siblings pulled open the doors.

Sliding along the seat, she pressed herself against the opposing door to give the others plenty of space.

Once they were all settled, Reginald told Abhijat to drive them home. The car lurched forward, leaving the scrambling press in their wake. Only when they reached the first set of traffic lights did Luther reveal his discovery.

"Are you okay, V?" Ben asked, leaning into her side to whisper. He didn't notice her attempt to see what Luther had found.

She nodded, flinching as the thoughtless movement made the tenderness in her skull even sharper. "Yeah, my head just hurts a bit."

"Mine too."

Vanya glanced past Ben at Five, trying to see if he was okay. She quickly sat back in her seat however once she felt Reginald's unwelcome eye fall on her.

They came to a smooth stop outside the Academy, the passengers waiting for Abhijat to open the door before they exited.

Leaving in numerical order, Pogo welcomed them on the front step and ushered them into the house. He asked his customary question: "Is anyone in need of medical assistance?"

While the children all answered _no_, Pogo's sights remained fixedly on Luther.

"Are you certain, Number One?"

Luther was absently rubbing his ears while holding the cardboard box with one hand. He passed it off to Pogo, muttering all the while that he was fine.

"Just an ear ache."

"_Intruder_!" Ben suddenly shouted.

The Academy, who had started to relax upon entering the house, immediately tensed.

"Where, I don't see anyone?" Diego said, turning to look around the foyer. He pulled out a knife regardless and fell in line with his siblings to form a loose circle with Reginald, Pogo and Vanya at its centre.

Five jumped to Vanya's side, also scanning the room for a sign of the person who had caused Ben such alarm.

"Right there." Ben said, jabbing a finger towards the foot of the stairs.

"Dude, there's no one there." Diego huffed.

Reginald stepped around Luther, who had stood directly in front of him, to approach Ben. "Number Six, what is the meaning of this?"

"What are you all _talking_ about, he's standing right _there_." Ben insisted, trying to back away from whatever figment he was seeing.

Vanya turned to Five who shook his head, knowing what she wanted to do. They couldn't risk trying to comfort him here, it was best to keep their distance.

"Number Six, perhaps we had best visit the infirmary." Pogo tried to suggest.

"I'm not _crazy_! Look, he's _there_!" Ben said, his finger tracking across the hall towards a doorway. "What, what are you talking about? Of course I can _see_ you! How did you get _in_ here?"

Ben continued to stare at thin air. "I don't care who you are, _Mateo_. _Why_ are you _here_?"

"Mateo?" Klaus exclaimed. "You can't see Mateo – Mateo's _dead_. And he's not in this room; he's usually down in the basement. _I'd_ see him if he was here."

"You know him?" Ben frowned at the doorway. "But – but, I don't...what's going _on_?"

With Reginald's attention firmly on Ben, Vanya chanced taking up Five's hand to clench with her own, in the hopes he might hold her back from rushing to their brother's side. While she might have understood a small jump of surprise from the unexpected contact, she didn't expect him to leap away with a howl.

"_Fuck_!" He yelled, pulling his hand close to his chest.

"Number Five." Reginald bellowed, turning back towards them.

Five held his hand up to examine it, revealing to everyone a finger that was turning steadily black and blue.

"_Vanya_." Five breathed raggedly, trying to calm himself down. "I think you broke my finger."

"_What_ – h-how?" She gasped, her cheeks flaming red as the other children's attention shifted from Ben to turn critically on her.

Vanya hated it when they all looked at her; not only did it make her want to hide behind the nearest piece of furniture it also stopped her from going to Five to inspect his hand herself. Because he _had_ to be wrong, there was no way that someone ordinary like her could hurt someone as extraordinary as Five. He must have been injured already, from the mission. It was the only thing that made sense.

And yet...she had looked at him in the car. She would have known if he was injured.

He came closer to her. "It's okay. I _think_..." Five turned abruptly from her to face Luther, placing himself in the line of their siblings' disbelieving stares and shielding Vanya from them. "That device we recovered. What the hell is it?"

"T-tech." Diego said uncertainly.

"That does _what_ exactly?" Five gritted out. "Because it seems to me that Ben can suddenly see ghosts, Klaus can't and Vanya can break fingers. Doesn't that seem odd to anyone else?"

Allison, catching on to Five's theory quicker than her brothers, turned to Klaus. "I heard a rumour that you did a handstand."

Klaus shrugged at her in response. "You know I suck at gymnastics, Allie."

"My _powers_..." Allison murmured, eyes widening.

Luther didn't let Allison finish expressing her shock, setting the box gently on the floor before heading for the central table. The solid marble piece barely shifted as he attempted to push it: a short squeak was the only sign it had been disturbed at all.

"I don't see ghosts anymore." Klaus whooped, making himself lightheaded as he spun around the room looking for any sign of spectres, coming to a stop to beam in the direction of the doorway. "Mateo – I can't see you! Isn't this _awesome_!"

"Number Four." Reginald shouted, silencing their mixed responses of horror and joy. "All of you to the infirmary at once, we must get to the bottom of this immediately. Pogo, summon Grace."

"Yes, Sir Reginald." Pogo said, exiting the foyer with one last worried look at the children.

"What did this _device_ do?" Reginald asked critically, turning to Number One.

"Klaus," Luther said disapprovingly, "removed it from the box against orders and, after making contact, it emitted a light."

"What kind of light?"

"A white light. It was there for two, three seconds maybe. Then it just went out."

Reginald picked up the box.

"We must remedy this at once. The entire Academy is at risk."

"How?" Allison enquired tentatively.

"None of you are trained in the use of the others' powers. You are _weak_, vulnerable; it makes us an ideal target."

"Maybe it's not that." Klaus perked up. "Maybe it's something that happens naturally to people like us – we swap powers every dozen years. _Yeah_, that could be it."

"To the infirmary, Number Four." Reginald insisted, clapping a hand on Klaus' shoulder and firmly leading him to the staircase.

"Five," Vanya tried hollowly, having watched her siblings' realisations with detachment as she stewed in a sudden and powerful guilt, "your _hand_, I'm..."

"Hey, it's fine." He assured, threading his uninjured hand with hers. "You didn't _know_. None of us know. I don't even know which power I have now. Besides, at least you didn't get my writing hand. Otherwise I would have had you writing out equations to make it up to me." Five joked, ducking slightly to force her to look at him. His expression was open, there was no darkness in his eyes like there was when he was really upset. _Still_...

"Number Five. Seven." Luther summoned, waiting for them by the stairs. "You heard Dad, we need to go to the infirmary."

"Luther," Vanya tentatively started as she approached him, "how do you – _moderate_?"

"It takes practice Vanya." He shrugged. "You don't need to worry about that though. Dad will fix it and we'll all be back to normal soon. But, maybe let everyone else open the doors for now, okay? They've all only just been fixed from when I first got my powers."

It was true. The number of door handles that had been crushed or door frames splintered, which had subsequently required replacing, was now a worrying memory for Vanya. She made a silent vow to keep her hands to herself until this was fixed.

"What powers do you think you have?" Five asked Luther. "I'm not noticing anything significant like abdominal pain or apparitions, so I reckon I must have Diego's or Allison's. Or _none_." He said as an afterthought, glancing at Vanya.

"I don't know which. My ears _hurt_, everything seems kinda loud all of a sudden." Luther complained. "But that might just be a side effect of the swap. Klaus was complaining of stomach ache after it first happened. Although that could be because he has Ben's."

"My head hurts. Maybe it is just a side effect?" Vanya volunteered.

Luther nodded, before heading downstairs to the infirmary. He looked unsteady for once, and it occurred to Vanya for the first time how strange it must be to lose an ability which had been with you for the majority of your life and then see it appear in someone else. Almost as strange as abruptly receiving a power when you had been _ordinary_ for the entirety of your life, she thought wryly.

"I wonder why it affected you too, you weren't in the building with us." Five mused, pulling her after their siblings. "And it didn't affect anyone else – the cops, the shop owners, Abhijat. So why you?"

Vanya shrugged.

He continued: "Maybe it only affects people like us. The children who were born that day."

"Maybe." She hedged.

"Children, take a seat on the beds." Grace instructed as they entered the room. "Roll up your sleeves too. I will require blood samples. Yes, that includes you as well Diego."

Taking the two remaining beds, Vanya sitting on the one between Five and Ben, she watched as the infirmary bustled with activity.

Allison and Luther were both sulking on their beds, the most uncomfortable with the swap.

Pogo had the device on one of the work surfaces, the edges of the boxes torn off, trying to assess the language on its sides while being careful not to make physical contact.

Reginald had pulled a board into a corner of the infirmary, trying to track which children now had which power. So far he only had Ben and Vanya matched to an opposing power, the others were left blank – a lack of information he clearly didn't like, as he scowled at the room.

Grace calmly made her rounds around the room, setting out needles for each of the seven children's blood samples.

"Mom," Klaus whined as Grace approached his bed, "I feel sick."

Grace laid a palm to his head but Klaus shook it away. "No, not like I _am_ sick. Like I'm going to _be_ sick. It's like I have snakes in my stomach or something."

Ben blanched but didn't voice his fears aloud. "Pogo, do you recognise the language?"

"Let Pogo do his work, Number Six." Reginald said, before Pogo could answer.

Allison suddenly clapped her hands, drawing their attention. Her cheeks were puffed out, and she waved to them. With a sigh she released the breath she was holding.

"Okay, did no one notice I've been holding my breath since I came down here?"

As Reginald matched Allison's name to Diego's, Diego took the opportunity to congratulate his sister.

"Guess someone lucked out. How does it feel to have the best power in the Academy?"

"Your powers suck, Diego." Allison huffed, crossing her arms haughtily over her chest. "I want _my_ powers back."

"Children..." Reginald began to warn.

Diego hopped off the bed, partly to avoid Grace and her approaching needle, but mostly to get in Allison's face. "Put out that Vanya got your _boyfriend's_ p-powers?" He sneered, having enough sense to keep his voice low so Reginald couldn't hear the particulars of what he was saying.

"Oh grow up, Diego!"

"Shut up, Allison!"

Reginald put an end to their bickering.

"CHILDREN! I will not have you descend into anarchy. You are exposed enough as it is. Contain yourselves."

"_Mom_." Klaus groaned.

"Perhaps you should move into the bathroom, Klaus." Grace suggested kindly, a juxtaposition to Reginald's abrasive nature in every way.

Pogo beckoned over Reginald to examine the device with him, drawing his ire away from the children.

"We have to switch it back." Ben muttered grimly.

"We will." Five reassured him.

"No, I mean _now_."

The boys glanced at Klaus who clutched his abdomen with a sudden cry of pain.

"Yeah." Five agreed. "But if we activate the device again without knowing how it works we just risk transferring our powers around again. There's no guarantee they'll come back to us."

"We don't know that."

"We don't know _anything_. Let Pogo do his work." Five insisted.

Ben sighed and hopped off his bed to help Klaus. He knew full well how unpleasant the eldritchs' first emergence could be.

Thankfully Grace did too, as she was already assembling gauze pads.

Five turned to Vanya. "I have an idea."

He didn't wait for her to answer, he just hopped off the bed and strode over to Klaus.

Pulling Ben away from him, Five helped Klaus stand straight and said with a confidence that always left Vanya feeling envious: "I heard a rumour that you're not in pain."

As Klaus sighed in relief, Reginald made another match on the whiteboard, and Grace calmed a tense Diego that the needle wouldn't hurt too badly, Vanya noticed that Five – rather than seeming satisfied that his prediction had been proved right – looked rather deflated.

"Are you okay?" She asked as he came back to sit next to her.

Five took a minute to answer as he focused on unbuttoning his cuff so he could roll up his sleeve. "I had hoped I still had my original powers. I _knew_ I didn't – I tried to jump earlier – but..."

Ignoring his shrug, Vanya swung her legs off her bed to lean closer to him. "There's nothing wrong with hoping."

"It was stupid." Five dismissed.

Grace came to the end of his bed, cutting their conversation short. "I will take a blood sample first Number Five before attending to your finger. We can't have any painkillers altering the results of your test."

"I don't need painkillers. It's not that bad. I think it's just a fracture."

"There's no need to be brave, Number Five." Grace encouraged.

"It's fine. _Really_." He grinned at Vanya. "I can hardly feel it."

She knew he was only trying to spare her from any lingering guilt but she still had to force herself from giving him a returning smile. It was hard not to when Five grinned at her like that.

"I _am_ sorry, Five. I hope it doesn't take too long to heal."

"I already told you not to blame yourself. Luther's broken more than my finger before. You could say I'm used to it." He said dryly.

"Well don't worry." Vanya assured him. "I won't touch anything until we're all back to _normal_."

"You mean you're not going to hold my hand while Mom stabs me with a needle?" Five accused.

Grace smiled indulgently at the pair. "You will barely feel it, Five."

After taking his blood she directed him towards their x-ray. As she waited for the scan to develop, she took Vanya's blood – completing the set.

"Here are your samples, Sir Reginald." She said, passing him the vials before returning to tend to Five's wound. As he had guessed it was only a fracture, and she assured Vanya more than Five that he would only require a splint for a few weeks.

With their samples submitted, Reginald sent the children to the upstairs drawing room while he continued to work with Grace and Pogo to find out how to reverse the change enforced upon them. Only Klaus stayed with them as, while the pain had subsided, there was still a risk the eldritch could try to force themselves through the portal that now resided within him.

"What a trip." Diego said, flopping onto one of the couches as Luther shut them in the room. "So does this mean I have your power, Five? Or am I stuck being the powerless one?"

"I don't know mine either, Diego." Luther sighed, choosing a chair in the corner of the room. He was still rubbing his ears and winced as he sat down; the springs in the lounger squeaking loudly.

"Fine. Tell us how to," Diego zigzagged his hand in Five's direction, "and we can figure out who has your power."

"Teleportation isn't as straightforward as holding your breath, Diego." Five huffed, taking a seat on the opposite couch. Vanya followed him. Sitting next to him or Ben was the only place she ever really felt safe when all the siblings were all gathered in one place.

Five continued: "It requires intense concentration, making multiple equations on the spot to ensure you don't lose a limb along the way, _and_ a strong stomach. Which our trip to the infirmary just proved you don't have."

"You're such an asshole, Five." Diego sniped, but a smile belied the sting of his words.

"So what do we do now?" Ben worried from beside Vanya. He wanted to stay with Klaus in the infirmary, but Grace had ushered him out with well-meaning but ineffective reassurances.

Vanya moved to take his hand in reassurance but hastily thought better of it and kept her hands linked together in her lap.

"We wait." Luther said from the corner, the sound of his own voice causing him to flinch.

Allison, finally noticing his suffering, slowly wandered over to him. "Luthe – are you okay? You don't look too good."

"It's just a migraine." He replied, his hands migrating from his ears to clap over his eyes.

"Did you tell Mom?" She asked, getting closer to him. "It might be a side effect."

"It's fine."

"Luther," Allison said, leaning over him to place her hand on his shoulder, "I really think you should..."

He flinched away from her voice, knocking the chair over as he leapt out of it. "Jesus, why are you _yelling_ at me?"

"I'm not!" She insisted, the pitch of her voice rising with her insistence.

Burrowing his face back in his hands, it was the room's turn to recoil as the ceramic lamp's stood at both ends of the couch shattered.

Diego was struck in the face by a piece; Ben and Five's heads crashing together as they both tried to dive on top of Vanya to protect her.

Allison stood shell-shocked beside an inconsolable Luther. It took her a moment to respond. "Luther, _Luther_ it's, Luther look at me." She said in a gentler voice than Vanya had ever heard before.

"What the f-fuck was that?" Diego asked, pressing his hand to his cheek to stem the bleeding. Ben hurried over to help him, ripping off a fragment of his blazer to cover the cut.

"None of us can d-do that!" Diego insisted, ignoring Ben's urges to keep his voice down.

Vanya looked up into Five's wary eyes, his arms still firmly around her.

Prising Luther's hands away, Allison gasped at the white eyes that struggled not to meet hers.

A moment later they all saw white when Pogo inadvertently triggered the device again downstairs.

* * *

This seemed clunky to me, but I couldn't get it perfect so I just decided to post it. I can always edit it later. So if you want a full power swap list for this chapter it was: 1=Vanya, 2=Five, 3=Diego, 4=Ben, 5=Allison, 6=Klaus & 7=Luther. The next chapter will have a new swap which will last longer than this one. I already have the swap list set but I'm always happy to hear guesses :D

As always, let me know your thoughts! And thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter, you guys are great 3


	3. Pupa

The second switch had taken everyone off guard, knocking the breath from their lungs – some falling over from the increasingly uncomfortable process, while the rest were only able to remain standing by grabbing onto the nearest piece of furniture.

Their incongruous leader was still shaken from the last swap so Diego, who was technically second in command – even if the rest of them thought the numbering system was simply another of Dad's mind games rather than a real hierarchy to be adhered – stepped up to take charge.

"Is everyone all right?" Diego asked, clutching a cloth to his face.

Ben groaned in response, his head pounding – both from his earlier collision with Five and as an after-effect of another forced physiological change: "What just happened?"

"Pogo must have activated the device again." Luther concluded, struggling to speak. "Maybe we're back to normal?"

"Normal? What the fuck was normal about that?" Diego asked Luther, pulling back the cloth to reveal his cut cheek, a rivulet of blood running down his face as he did and dripping from the end of his chin.

"That'll need stitches." Ben fussed, urging him to press the fabric back down to stem the bleeding. "We should go back to the infirmary, tell Dad we've switched again."

"We're not going anywhere." Five insisted. He watched warily as everyone fidgeted on the spot, all of them feeling uncomfortable; like their skin was too tight. Their entire bodies felt wrong. He began to wonder if multiple changes might have a negative effect on their bodies. Perhaps that was the plan of whoever had initiated this, but in that moment he had more pressing concerns. The chief one was currently trying to shrink further into his side, as Diego glowered at her.

Five wrapped an arm around her shoulders in an attempt at comfort.

"Until we figure out what just happened, we're staying here."

"Well why don't you tell me what happened, since you're meant to be the family genius." Diego snarled, pushing Ben's hands away from his face. "None of us have those kinds of powers."

"Which is why we're staying here and figuring this out now. We need to find out who has what powers, and who has this," he chose next his words carefully, "new power."

"Dad will figure it out." Luther said, attempting to stand to appear more authoritative.

"How do we do that?" Allison asked at the same time, easily pushing a weakened Luther back into his chair.

"If we're going to be prepared for an attack, which Dad seems convinced will happen, we should know whose powers we have now so we can start learning how to control them. Give ourselves a fighting chance." Five lied, knowing that excuse would please Luther. "We'll do weights first. The couch, okay? Ben, you go first."

Ben easily picked up one end of the couch but strained himself when he tried to lift it whole. Allison hefted the entire thing in the air and above her head without breaking a sweat.

"One down." Diego muttered, rubbing his steadily whitening face.

"Diego, you should really go to the infirmary. You're losing blood. We can figure out whose power you have later." Ben suggested, noting his brother's increasing discomfort with alarm.

Diego spoke before Five could object to the proposal. "I already know whose power I have. My stomach's been a mess ever since we saw that light again, it must have yours."

Flinching in sympathy, Ben apologised.

"It's hardly your fault." Diego dismissed, flopping back down on the couch now it was no longer needed for their little test. "We need to get these powers under control quickly though. I for one don't want any more lamps exploding in my face."

The acrimony in the room looked set to rise as Luther opened his mouth to retort to Diego's barb.

"Breathing next." Five persisted, speaking before anyone else could. There was no time for petty fights; they needed to find out who had what power before Reginald learned about the new switch and could start testing them again. It would be important to help Five protect Vanya from him. "Everyone hold your breath."

With their eyes all trained on the clock, Five could only hope as he watched the seconds tick by that Pogo hadn't realised he'd reactivated the device yet and that Klaus was keeping his mouth shut.

Luther outlasted them all and seemed comfortable to continue indefinitely.

"Three down." Ben sighed. "Luther? What symptoms did you have the first time?"

"Ear ache. Everything felt too loud." Luther exhaled, letting a flood of fresh air back into his lungs. To finally confirm his new power he picked up a book from the side table and threw it at the bin on the other side of the room. It landed neatly within Luther's chosen target, clearly defying the laws of gravity as its trajectory bended at the last moment.

"My ears are ringing a bit, but that might just be the switch." Ben admitted, glancing at Vanya as he spoke.

"If it gets worse, tell us." Luther said, some colour returning to his face now he'd been unburdened of the pain. "I wrote it off as a side effect and look what happened."

Guiltily, Luther stood up – sidestepping Allison's concerned hand – to approach Diego. "Let me look at that." He said gruffly; his offer of help as close to an apology anyone would get.

"Why, did that last swap give you an M.D.?" Diego snarked. "It's fine. Mom'll deal with it. Can we just get on with this? Who has Allison's powers?"

"I heard a rumour you smiled." Five tried. Diego glowered at him.

"All right, not me. Vanya?"

"I heard a rumour..." Vanya paused, not wanting to make anything terrible happen in case she had Allison's powers.

"Just use a smile, like Five did." Allison suggested, impatient to discover who had her power. "You can try it on me."

"Okay. Erm, I heard a rumour you smiled." She said to her sister.

Allison shook her head. "No, you don't. I guess that means Klaus does."

"Shit." The boys chimed.

"Let's hope he doesn't figure that out anytime soon." Allison huffed in agreement.

The idea of Klaus with Allison's powers was not a fun one. Five dreaded to think what Klaus might do once he finally figured it out. He'd probably think of it as an early birthday present; and Five was sure if he had ever thought that Allison was unrestrained with her rumours, Klaus would be positively uncontrollable.

Perhaps he should take a leaf from Odysseus' book and plug his ears until they were in the clear of this horrid episode.

With the rumours solved, it left them with only two more powers: Five's and Klaus'. Provided Ben really did have the new power, which would be hard to prove.

"Where does Klaus say he always sees ghosts?" Five asked, cursing himself for not listening more when Klaus spoke about the Academy's regulars. He needed to confirm that this was the power he most likely had.

"Mateo was in the hall earlier but he left, I saw him go." Ben shuddered. "I know we've always known they're around, but seeing them was...weird. The idea that they're all permanently watching us. Just try not to freak out as much as I did, I don't think the ghosts appreciate it."

Ben kept looking at Vanya while he spoke, clearly not thinking she would be up for it if that was the power she had.

While Five thought more of her, he was grateful she wouldn't have to see the more gruesome ghosts Klaus described during training when she wasn't around. Although they would have had a significant advantage if he had gotten his own powers back, instead of Klaus'.

"Can you jump Five?" Vanya asked hesitantly.

He shook his head. "No. I think I must have Klaus'. I want to test that though, so we can confirm Ben and Klaus."

"Does that mean I have yours?"

"You should." Five mused. "It's difficult to check though, we'd have to do some practice. Let's see if we can find a ghost instead."

"While you do that, I'd better go see Dad." Luther decided. "Diego, you should come too. Get your head checked out."

"No," Five intervened, "Diego should stay here. Luther, see if you can get Dad out of the infirmary first."

"Why?" Luther asked.

Even Diego, who Five often thought so little of when ranking the team's intelligence, had cottoned on faster than Number One. "Because he doesn't want Dad figuring out V's powers are on the loose."

It was the first time the room had acknowledged out loud who the power must belong to, and Five wasn't surprised when Vanya turned in his arms to hide her face from the room.

"I'll wait here. The bleeding's starting to slow down, anyway. I think." Diego said, pulling back the sodden rag.

Ben promptly tore off a new piece of cloth from his jacket to hand to him, shucking off the ruined garment to leave in the room after he did.

"Dad needs to know what's going on. I mean, if Vanya has powers now..."

"She always had powers, you idiot." Diego groaned. "Catch up."

"What, you all knew..."

"No. They must have been suppressed somehow." Five explained to Luther, only speaking so patiently to keep Vanya calm. Her lack of an outburst since the revelation was odd to him, surely no one could be this tolerant in the wake of such a revelation, even though he knew she had a far more benevolent personality than his.

"Which explains why they were able to present in you and now Ben."

"Oh." Luther mumbled. "Okay. But if Dad knew..."

"He did." Diego muttered.

"...then he must already know one of us will get hers."

"And he might try to suppress them in that person once he knows who has it." Five said. "We need to figure out who has it first, that way we can keep an eye on them and make sure Dad doesn't do anything which could affect them permanently."

"Dad wouldn't do that."

"Luther," Allison appealed, "If you let us find out who has what power, we can go to Dad with complete results. He'll be pleased."

Luther shook his head. "He won't be happy about us lying to him, Allison."

"Debrief him about the swap. Go into detail about it, the light that we saw, the effects it had on us," Five countered, "that's what Dad's real concern is, isn't it? Working out how the machine works so he can get us all back to normal?"

"He needs to know about Vanya's powers. I mean, they must have been suppressed for a reason."

"Maybe she blew a lamp up in Dad's face." Diego grumbled in suggestion, leaning his head back against the couch.

"Maybe." Luther said. "But the bottom line is, there's this new power among us now that none of us know how to control. Only Dad does."

"But how does he control them?" Allison asked, worrying her lip. "I mean, is this something he could do to all of us?"

"That's what I want to find out."

"Luther." Allison implored. "Do what Five says. I don't like the sound of this, and I want to find out what's going on. You know Dad never tells us the full story."

"That's not fair, Allison. Dad isn't here to defend himself; he might have had a good reason."

"Or he might not have." Diego pointed out. "Which one sounds more like Dad?"

Vanya lifted her head from Five's shoulder to look at Number One nervously. "Please, Luther?"

Perhaps it was the genuine shock which seemed to radiate from Vanya' face or the clear discomfort displayed in all his siblings' postures, but Luther finally relented. "Fine. But I'm making it clear right now that I don't agree with this."

"Noted." Five said sardonically.

"Let's go." Ben sighed. "I might as well go with you Luther and get Klaus, then we can figure out if he really has Allison's powers."

Five heard Ben mutter some kind of plea to God as he passed him to the door.

"Klaus said there's a ghost that likes to linger around the second floor toilet." Allison helped. "I've avoided it ever since."

"Thanks." Five said, glancing at Vanya. There would be no leaving her alone like this; there would be no leaving her alone anytime really, given the circumstances. "Come on, Vanya. Let's go see if I can talk to the dead."

Five pulled Vanya out the room, an arm still firmly around her as he hastily guided her upstairs.

Ben and Luther hurried in the opposite direction, walking through a passing ghost.

"Five..." Vanya started, her voice desperate.

He hushed her, wanting to wait until they were somewhere quiet.

Pushing her towards her bedroom, Five told Vanya to wait there while he went to tinker with the security cameras. Once the camera for the roof was turned off, and the one for the access stairway was put on a loop, he went back for her.

"Okay." He said, once the metal door was shut firmly behind them. "No one can hear us up here."

"Five...what does this all mean?" Vanya asked, pacing away from him.

"You know what it means, Vanya." He said patiently, moving to close the gap she had created.

Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

"That bastard." Five muttered.

"How could he?" She whispered despairingly.

"Because he's a bastard."

"Five."

"Your pills – that must be how he's suppressing them. It's the only thing that makes sense. It can't be the powers themselves, otherwise they wouldn't have presented in anyone else once we'd switched."

"W-what do I do? Do I stop taking them?"

"Slowly." Five said, knowing even that would be difficult with them still under Reginald's thumb. He also had to wonder why he would suppress Vanya's powers in the first place – were they dangerous? Was Ben in some kind of danger? After all, Luther, who often undeservedly considered himself to be the strongest amongst them, had broken within hours.

"What can I," she said uncertainly, "even do?"

"Your powers must be linked to sound somehow. Luther and Ben both mentioned their hearing became more sensitive after the switch. Then there's an element of telekinesis involved, looking at how Luther broke the lamps. Unless he broke them some other way – maybe a sound wave? We should get Dad's notebook, I bet he has everything in there. Slimy bastard." Five cursed again, losing himself in his plans.

"We'll figure this out Vanya." He promised. "For now, let's just focus on Ben. We can find out more about your powers by observing him."

"My powers." Vanya said hollowly.

"Dad will be a problem. But I'll figure something out." Five continued, having no idea yet how he would do that. He started pacing the roof; movement usually helped him think more clearly. "Have you taken any pills yet today?"

"One with breakfast."

"Okay. Only take half of one tonight, we'll do that for a few days then you can go down to one pill a day. A gradual reduction of your dose seems sensible. It's what they do with drug addicts – a sudden termination of medication which has been administered for a long time can cause the body to go into shock otherwise." He mused. "Do you know what the medication is called? Maybe I can find out more about it in the library?"

Vanya shook her head. "The bottle doesn't even have a label."

Five groaned. "God, I'm so fucking stupid. I've watched you take those pills for as long as I can remember – why didn't I question a bottle with no label?"

"None of the medicine in the house has a label, Five. Even the aspirin – Mom just dispenses it from the infirmary."

"He will not get away with this Vanya. No one, not even a legal guardian, can drug their children. We're going to put an end to this."

"Five," Vanya warned, "he won't let us do that."

"Well what gives him the right?" Five snapped, getting angry on her behalf since Vanya seemed to be irrationally calm. "Our powers they're – they're a part of us. They make us who we are. To keep that aspect of someone from themselves for so many years...it's a violation Vanya. And he shouldn't get away with it."

"Don't do anything rash, Five." She pleaded.

"Rash? Vanya, how can you just..." He turned to look at her properly and noticed for the first time how deathly pale she looked, her eyes glassy and lips raw from where she had been gnawing on them. "Vanya."

"Are you cold?" He asked. "Shit, I shouldn't have brought us to the roof, it just seemed like the easiest place not to be overheard. Here."

Shrugging off his jacket he started to wrap it around her, not hearing her declinations.

"I'm not cold." Vanya protested, standing still regardless while Five placed his blazer over her shoulders. "I'm just, in shock I guess. I – I can't believe it. I mean my whole life I've just been...me. Ordinary."

"You've never been ordinary, Vanya." Five dispelled. He never liked it when the others described her that way, even if up until that morning he had thought it to be true.

She had been ordinary – in the sense that she didn't have their abilities, anyway. She had also been extraordinary though. The only one of the abnormal children to be born without powers. The others thought made her like everyone else in the world, but to Five that set her apart even more.

He'd often wondered what had made her different. Speculating that her illness as a child could have somehow disabled her natural abilities. That perhaps they were so subtle no one even recognised them as powers. Now however, he knew the truth. And it was a testament to how concerned he was about Vanya that he was still by her side and not currently pressing a knife to Reginald's throat.

"But I am..." Vanya started to protest, the words dying before they fully formed. She rubbed the side of her head like she was getting a headache.

"It's a lot." Five agreed, using the lapels of his jacket to pull her into his arms. "It will take some adjustment – but the important thing is we know now. And information is power."

Vanya grimaced. "Dad always says that."

"Well even a broken clock is right twice a day." Five scoffed, tugging her ever closer so he could rest his chin on her head – still concerned that she was cold up there.

"Speaking of clock's, aren't the others going to miss us?" She murmured into his neck as she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"I told Ben to cover for us."

"Dad knows we've switched again. There will be no distracting him. He'll want to run more tests..." huffing, Vanya laid her cheek against his shoulder and leaned fully into him, "...Five, what are we going to do once he figures it out? That I know. That we all know."

She had hit upon the question of the hour.

As soon as Vanya revealed she had been included in the switch, Five started to realise that she must have had some kind of ability – whether dormant or undiscovered – and when Luther started showing discomfort his mind began to yell.

What were they going to do?

While Luther was downstairs talking to Reginald, Five needed to be the one who figured out that answer. The situation was too precarious to allow his teammates to flounce through it, overly cocky and lacking all subtly, like they were on some cakewalk mission.

"Let's go downstairs." Five said, squeezing Vanya tighter as she groaned in response. "No, we need to go see what's happening. Besides, I don't like leaving the others unattended for too long. They're like small children, they need adult supervision or they'll set something on fire."

Pulling back, he smoothed her hair down where it had become ruffled.

"What Luther did earlier..." Vanya started.

"Yeah."

"It," she huffed, "maybe Dad had a good reason for getting rid of my powers?"

"Don't say that." Five said, even if he had been wondering the same thing. "No one deserves to have a part of them hidden away and never told why."

"Poor Diego," Vanya continued, "do you think he'll have a scar?"

Five rolled his eyes. "He'd love that."

Given the amount of blood that had poured off his face, Five was sure when they arrived at the infirmary they would find Grace stitching him up. The more worrying prospect was Reginald asking how it had happened.

"Do you really think Ben has my powers now?"

"Luther first started complaining of earache so it looks that way to me."

"Should I give him my pills then?"

"No. No one else is taking them until we know more about it."

Five didn't even like leaving Vanya on them, but as they didn't know much about their effects, it seemed unwise to get rid of them. Even if the thought of lighting a giant bonfire and throwing them and Reginald atop of it sounded rather appealing at that moment.

Leading Vanya down the stairs, he only detangled their fingers once they reached the main corridor and would become visible to the security cameras again.

"Diego is getting stitches in the infirmary." Allison told them as they reached the main hall where she was waiting for their return. "Luther's with Dad, describing what we saw when Pogo set off the device again."

"Ben and Klaus?"

Allison grimaced. "Klaus figured out what power he got just as I left to find you two."

"What did he do?" Five asked warily.

"Made Ben tap dance." She sighed.

"Ben can tap dance?" Vanya said disbelievingly, asking Five more than Allison. She still wasn't entirely comfortable talking directly to her so-called sister, and Five couldn't say he blamed her. While Allison could be saccharine sweet when she wanted to be, it was an exterior which barely coated her abrasive centre.

"He can now." Allison replied, rolling her eyes. "And he's not happy about it."

She led them both back to the infirmary, where Diego was having a bandage smoothed over his head and Ben was glaring at a gleeful Klaus.

"Just because you have a power, doesn't mean you have to use it you know."

"Oh come on Bennie Boo, you know you were into it! Let the rhythm take you and all that shtick."

"Klaus." Five warned.

"Seriously, Klaus. You can't misuse my powers..." Allison started, glaring as her brothers replied with disbelief.

"Maybe not the best line to take, Allison."

"Shut up, Five. I know how to use my powers. Klaus hasn't been trained for this. So until we sort everything out, keep your mouth shut!"

Klaus only smiled.

"Do you feel better Klaus?" Vanya asked timidly, keen to break up the angry looks being shot around the room.

"Yes," Klaus pointed at her, "thank you, Vanya. See everyone – here's an example of a good sibling. I am feeling better."

"I asked you that before." Ben sighed.

"No offence bro, but I'm feeling a lot happier with my current lot. Your powers suck, big time. Ben time." Klaus expelled in a fast gush of words. "Where's Luther? What's he got? Allison said you got Five's little sis, what does Five have? And where's Dad?"

"With Luther."

"I think I might pay him a visit."

Five clutched his arm as Klaus sprung up from the bed. "Why?"

"Oh you know, to let him know I'm okay. In the clear. No more Bentacles tearing up my internal organs. See how he is. You know, the uge."

"Klaus." Allison warned. "You're not rumouring anyone."

"Never said I was. Now if you'll excuse me." Klaus insisted, twisting in Five's grasp.

Not letting go, Five pulled Klaus closer. "Sit down Klaus."

With a groan, Klaus threw his one free hand up in the air. "Fine. Geesh, what's got your panties in a twist." He cried, retreating to sit on the edge of the bed. "You never answered my questions anyway – what have we all got?"

"Luther has Diego's power, I have yours."

Klaus raised a brow. "Guess I'm not the only one who lucked out, huh? Enjoy the ride my man; let me know if you need anything to help you come down." He offered truculently.

"So that leaves one other, who has that?"

Five sent out a silent thanks to whatever force had compelled Klaus to use the ounce of common sense he hadn't yet smoked out of his body. "Ben."

"Interesting."

A shared glance with Ben told him that Klaus had already been filled in on what had happened in the sitting room with regards to Luther and the lamp.

"Okay, Mom. It's fine." Diego insisted, brushing Grace's hands away from his face.

"All right, Diego." Grace said peacefully, drifting away to clean up the medical supplies littered around the room.

"How's your head?" Allison asked as the kids crowded around him.

"Fine. Is Luther still with Dad?"

Ben replied that he was, before pressing Diego for answers about the eldritch.

"They're not doing anything at the moment. I'd barely know there was anything wrong." Diego said uncomfortably, laying a hand on his gut as he answered. "I'll let you know when that changes though."

"We'd better go see Dad for debriefing." Allison suggested. "Might as well get it over and done with."

"Agreed. But we let him do his tests for now, don't let him know we've already worked it out." Five said, dropping his voice so Grace wouldn't over hear. "Then we'll meet tonight after light's out – we'll help each other with our powers."

"Probably a smart move," Diego replied, scratching away some dried blood still under his chin, "only a matter of time before the mission alarm rings and I don't like our chances with how things stand."

"I'll deal with the cameras. We all meet in Luther's room as usual, okay?"

"Sure." Allison agreed, echoed by Diego.

Vanya nodded her head in response.

"What about," Ben started, catching himself before he could say Vanya's name, "what about my powers?"

"None of you will like this, but we have to get Dad's notebook."

"Jesus."

"Five," Allison cut in, "what's the point of this? Dad will probably figure it out soon, anyway. Just tell him we know and then we can deal with it."

"I need to do some research on Vanya's pills first," Five whispered, "just buy me some time. Okay."

Allison glanced at Vanya, her expression showing that she didn't think all this extra effort was necessary but still she nodded. The revelation of Vanya's powers had shaken her more than she liked to admit. That Dad would do something like that worried her and made her wonder if he had ever done anything similar to the others. And that thought made something at the back of her mind itch, frustrating her to no end that she couldn't place her finger on it.

"You'll need to get the other two to agree."

"Klaus," Ben said, turning to beckon his brother over.

None of them were particularly surprised that the cot was empty and Klaus was nowhere to be seen.

"Let's find him then." Diego groaned.

"No need." Allison sighed, sharing a exasperated glance with Five.

"Shit."

They all hurried from the infirmary, ignoring Grace's call that Diego should wait for the glue to dry before moving around.

Klaus couldn't have left long before they sought him out, as they could hear the crash of the study door being thrown open as they rounded the corridor leading to Reginald's rooms.

"Number Four." Reginald scolded.

"I heard a rumour..." Klaus cut over him, his voice giddy as he concluded, "...that you stay in your bedroom and don't come out again until I tell you to."

Five was vaguely aware of Vanya taking a hold of his jacket sleeve and Allison hissing, "idiot", as they all watched Reginald's eyes cloud over.

* * *

Sorry for the delay in posting. And sorry again because there's likely to be another delay before I post the next chapter as I'm doing NaNoWriMo next month. Rest assured this story will be finished before the end of the year though, hopefully even sooner if I can get ahead of my word count next month and create some time for fanfiction writing.

Just to recap, this current power swap is: 1 = (i.e. has) Diego's powers, 2=Ben's, 3=Luther's, 4=Allison's, 5=Klaus', 6=Seven's and 7=Five's.  
As always, let me know what you think! And thank you for all of your patience 3


	4. Instar

Vanya closed the door to Ben's room as gently as she could manage and tiptoed away.

The other's were waiting for her in the lounge downstairs.

"How is he?" Klaus asked as soon as she inched into the room.

"Pretty much the same as before." Vanya answered, joining Five on the couch. He picked her hand up far quicker than he would have done before that week and squeezed it tightly. "I'm surprised he can breathe he's got so many pillows over his head."

Luther looked uncharacteristically hesitant as he once again suggested they put everyone's favourite member in the chamber downstairs. "Pogo said it muffled sounds, it might be a relief for him?"

"We're not locking Ben up." Klaus snapped back. "So stop suggesting it."

"What about Vanya's pills?" Allison proposed instead.

"Dad made them for Vanya not Ben." Five said. "We have no idea how Ben would react to them and I don't know how to test them to find that out. I bet Pogo would know, but he's not exactly racing to share."

"I'll go ask Dad again." Luther offered, standing up.

"It hasn't worked the last twenty times you've tried." Diego pointed out from his sedate position on the windowsill. An arm was crossed tightly over his stomach.

"Ben's getting worse."

The door shut behind him.

Two days after Klaus' rumour and, despite Pogo's never-ending pleas, Reginald was still confined to his rooms. Something Klaus resolutely would not undo.

Reginald tried summoning the children to his rooms to continue giving orders however, after the initial shock had worn off, most of them refused to answer. Predictably Luther still responded to his father's calls, along with Allison who mainly went to spite Klaus for the manner in which he was using her powers. The others were still feeling a mixture of outrage, confusion and denial over the revelation of Vanya's powers and the knowledge that Reginald had the means, and apparently the will, to suppress their powers at any moment.

It was a revelation which had hardened them even further against the man.

Still, they had taken Reginald's warnings of a possible attack, by whoever had orchestrated their power swap, into consideration and were still using their time to train – now with Vanya included in the practice – and learn how to deal with each other's powers.

It was not going very well, however. Namely because Ben's hearing became more sensitive by the day and he had no idea how to control the effects Vanya's powers could have.

They'd lost more windows in those two days than they had in the entirety of the other children's training. The Umbrella Academy was starting to look derelict with so many boarded up.

Ben had taken himself to his room yesterday after a particularly explosive episode and refused to emerge, turning away any offers of food or water to stay burrowed beneath his blankets – as if some measly pieces of cloth could be enough to muffle the sounds that invaded his senses from every angle.

The others didn't know how to help him; they didn't understand how Seven's powers worked and Reginald refused to hand over his notes on the children. After Ben had shut himself away they turned to Pogo, expecting the more fatherly figure to help Ben however he could, yet they were met by a resolute no.

"The training of Academy members is handled solely by Sir Reginald." Pogo had explained. "If you would answer his summons..."

Five, whose temper dwindled in parallel to the length of time he was without his powers, snapped back: "Why should we? So he can _drug_ the rest of us into submission? If he cares about the Academy so much, he'll hand over the information that we need and allow us to work."

Luther, who was acting as the secondary go-between, intervened. "Dad won't do that. Let's just go and see him. He has some good ideas for how we can improve our training methods. Look at how Allison's control has progressed using his strategies."

"Your power is picking up heavy boxes, Luther." Diego griped. "Allison doesn't exactly have to put much effort in it!"

"Shut up, Diego."

"Fuck you, Luther."

"Children!" Pogo called. "We are accomplishing nothing. Now come with me to the office."

"No!" Five and Diego shouted in unison.

"Pogo." Allison tried, using the saccharine voice she always used when she wanted something. Except now she had to use it without the safety net of her rumours. "You must remember when we were children and our powers first started to manifest? You've been at our training sessions for as long as I can remember. Can't you just tell us what we need to know?"

"Allison!" Luther protested.

"Luther, Ben's not getting any better!" She retorted with venom.

The fiery tone melted away as she turned the doe eyes back on Pogo. "Pogo, you're the only one who can help us. It's easier for me, I get that," Allison said, gesturing to Diego, "but the others need to learn too otherwise we're vulnerable."

"I can't do that Miss Allison."

Five groaned. "Can't you at least tell us why he suppressed Vanya's powers?"

Pogo shook his head while Vanya frowned.

It had never occurred to her until that moment that Pogo had always known about her powers existence. It was a knowledge she still wrestled with the next day, wondering how he could have done it.

Out of everyone in the house, Pogo had been the only one she ever really considered family. The one to dry her tears when things got too hard, the closest she ever got to a father. And yet he had lied to her.

Had she been so terrible when she had powers?

Vanya rubbed her temples, the strange blue tendrils she occasionally saw floating in front of her eyes as she did. Five had been exceptionally patient (for him) when trying to explain the science behind their jumps, but they were getting nowhere in a hurry. And until she understood the theory, she couldn't teleport; a problem as she seemed to accrue energy by the hour.

"Are you doing okay?" Five asked as Luther left the room.

"I'm just seeing that blue stuff again."

"We should get back to training." Five said to the others.

"What about Ben?" Klaus whined.

Vanya looked to Five; they all did.

"If Dad won't tell us...I bet he has notes on Vanya's powers. What about that red notebook? He always writes about us in there while we train."

Allison shook her head. "He always has that on him and there's no way he'll give it to us."

"Yes he will." Klaus said, sounding more serious than Vanya had ever heard. "Diego, come with me. Luther probably won't like this."

Diego was in a constant state of discomfort yet for Ben he rolled off the window sill and stood by Klaus' side.

Allison looked scandalised. "I know we need to get that notebook but you can't rumour Dad, not _again_."

"Just because you don't have the guts sis..." Diego started, but flinched back when Allison moved to jab his tender abdomen with a fist. Vanya wondered if having different powers could affect their personalities too. Allison had seemed increasingly short tempered since the last switch, although that was more likely due to the frustration she felt from being separated from her own powers rather than an adaptation of Luther's traits.

Five raised a hand to block her as Allison made to follow a retreating Diego and Klaus from the room. "Have you been to see Ben lately?"

Shaking her head, she explained: "I know it hurts if we speak to him. I need to go see what Klaus is going to do..."

"Try sitting with him." Vanya intervened. "You don't have to talk to let him know you're there. Ben needs that."

Looking between the two, it was clear Allison was unhappy. She was the most upset about being without her powers, even more than Five, and was angry every time she saw Klaus use them.

Eventually she relented though, her love for Ben winning out.

Pushing past them, Allison crushed the door handle in her fist as she stalked off.

With only the two of them left in the room, Vanya wove her fingers together with Five's.

"What now?" She asked.

"Do you want to go back to the classroom? I left the equations up on the board." Five said, swinging their hands between them.

Grimacing, Vanya shook her head. "I feel too wound up to do that."

"You need to burn off some energy." Five sighed, turning to face her fully. "This happened to me when I couldn't jump for a week, back when I broke my leg – everything felt wrong."

"It does anyway."

"Pogo's still working on the device, but I've asked Mum to monitor our symptoms. It's clear these swaps are uncomfortable for us all; it's almost like we're not built for any power except our own."

With his free hand, he tilted her chin up. Vanya instantly melted into the touch.

"How are you holding up?"

"I still feel confused. I just don't know what I could have done that was so wrong."

"You did nothing wrong." Five refuted.

"I must have done! If even _Pogo_ agreed," Vanya shook her head sadly, "I must have been terrible. I can't do anything right. I don't know why I ever thought I could be anything else, anything but ordinary. Even _with_ powers."

"Don't say that." Five frowned. "You're the best person I know."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She said. Five always tried to make her feel better. It was why he was her favourite, but she always found his sentiments hard to believe. To that day Vanya couldn't understand why he would ever choose her to be his best friend. She was so ordinary, and he was...he was _amazing_.

His hand inched along her jaw until his fingers started to rub her cheekbone. "Yeah. I don't like to see you upset. But I'm not lying. You're my favourite for a reason, Vanya."

"Five, that's not..."

"Got it!" Klaus shouted.

"Klaus." Five scolded, his tone harsh as their presence forced him to drop his hand from Vanya's face. "Don't _yell_, Ben will hear you!"

"Shit, right." Klaus grimaced, before whisper shouting: "But I _got it_!"

He held aloft the red notebook in the air.

As soon as Vanya's eyes clapped sight of it she wanted it.

The next thing she knew it was in her hand.

"Gah!" Klaus screamed, jumping backward as Vanya materialised two inches from his face.

Blinking, Vanya glanced back to a grinning Five.

"I told you you're the best."

Tentatively smiling in reply, she looked back to Klaus. "Sorry about scaring you."

"It's okay sis." Klaus said, looking impressed.

"What's it say?" Diego asked, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

Despite her eagerness to grab the book, Vanya suddenly couldn't work up the nerve to open it. So, as she often did when her nerves got the better of her, she passed it over to Five.

He had no problem flicking through the pages, glowering at the book after he had skimmed only a few words.

"According to this he had success training you at first." Five said. "Although he quickly limited your interactions with the rest of us as he noticed you were stronger – looks like he built Grace specifically for you. Made her durable enough to..."

"What?" Diego asked sharply.

Vanya looked at him apologetically. Only a few sentences in and Five had confirmed her guilt; why would Reginald limit her contact with the other children if she wasn't dangerous? There must be more in there to hint at how her powers had first manifested, but Vanya got the feeling Five was sanitising the text to spare her feelings.

"Your training went _downhill_ when there was a thunderstorm. He thought the noise triggered a more violent reaction than you were typically producing, although he had noticed similar – _if less devastating_ – powers produced by the _high-pitched scream_ of a boiling kettle." Five read, quoting sections of Reginald's notes. "During the session, you broke every piece of glass in a ten metre radius – including Dad's monocle."

"No wonder Dad was so pissed." Klaus piped up, resting an elbow on Vanya's shoulder so he could learn on her. "So we need to keep Ben away from high-pitched noises?"

"According to this, your powers work best with pitches within a certain range. Although, he suspected your emotions also played an important part in the functionality of your powers and, _at that age_," Five said, amending Reginald's words, "you didn't have the best emotional control so it was hard to get you to focus during training."

"No loud noises and a calm environment." Klaus revised. "We can do that."

Almost as soon as he uttered the final word an explosion occurred, that they felt more than they heard as their ears immediately began to ring from the shock wave. Dust wafted down from the lofty ceiling to powder their hair grey and Klaus fell heavily on Vanya, knocking them both to the floor.

"Vanya. What are the chances you can jump to Ben?" Five asked, tucking the notebook into his jacket pocket, suddenly all business.

"On purpose? Slim." Vanya replied, gripping Klaus' hand so he could haul her back to her feet.

"Take the stairs at the back of the house. The explosion came from the front, we'll just have to hope they're only coming in one way." Five directly tensely. "Klaus, Diego come with me."

They began to head in opposite directions but a hand on Vanya's arm stopped her.

Ducking his head to speak quietly, Five told her to be careful: "Trust your instincts. You jumped once, if you need to I know you can do it again. Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe."

"_You too_." Vanya said, willing him to listen to her wish for once.

Looking both ways as she exited the training room, Vanya dashed for the door that led to the smaller staircase. She made it to the children's floor unimpeded, although she had nearly shrieked with fright once the gunfire started.

Sprinting along the corridor, she flung open Ben's door with far less care than she had last shut it.

Allison looked at her desperately, her hands clutching Ben's arms while he held his head in a vice grip.

"The noise, it turned his eyes white like Luther's did. I can't get him to calm down."

"I've got it, go." Vanya urged, worried about the other's safety given they were fighting with powers not their own.

Allison took off without another word, following the sounds that reverberated around the manor.

"Ben." Vanya said, her voice shaking worse than her hands as she tried to prise Ben's from his face. "I know it's a lot, and that this isn't nice for you. But we _have_ to help the others. Please. We can't stay here, they need us."

White eyes blinked up at her and Vanya stared into them helplessly.

Had she once had eyes like that?

"Please Ben."

"Help me up." He whispered.

Leading him along the hall, an arm around his waist as he looked ready to collapse, Vanya took them towards the grand staircase where the sound of gunfire was most intense.

"I feel like my head is about to explode." Ben groaned.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" He replied. "This is no worse than my powers; it's almost like the eldritch are in my head now instead of my stomach."

Another explosion made him wince. "I really wish they would stop doing that."

"Can you hear who it is?"

"They're not talking much. But there's four of them. They're pinned near the door, Mom began throwing rubble at them as soon as they got through the door. Luther took her away though to protect Dad and Pogo. The others have got them pinned in a corner, but Klaus can't get close enough to rumour them into stopping."

"If only Five had his powers back." Vanya moaned. "I've only managed to teleport once and even if I got near them, I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop them. I don't know how to fight!"

Ben rubbed his head. "Look, I don't know if I can use your powers but I _can_ fight. You just go find Mom and Pogo and stay with them, okay."

He tried to push her along, but he was too weak to.

Vanya wasn't sure why she thought Ben might be able to channel her powers, if Luther hadn't been able to perhaps they really were just too strong.

"You can't fight. I'll take you to Mom." Vanya resolved, sliding an arm under his shoulder. "Come on."

They heard a scream from downstairs.

"Who was that?"

"Diego." Ben supplied, able to hear everything. "He couldn't stop them. We need to get down there, he needs my help. I wasn't able to tell him before, he has no idea how to control it."

With a sudden burst of strength, he slipped out from Vanya's grasp and darted down the stairs.

"Ben!" Vanya yelled and, without thought, took off after him.

The foyer looked like a war zone; littered with debris and now generous sprays of blood – and not all of it was the villains'.

"Diego." Ben shouted, having to yell to be heard over Diego's groans.

The eldritch were still extended and, for the first time in her life, Vanya could see how they looked when they parted from their hosts' flesh.

It was horrific.

"Ben, get down!" Five yelled back from where he was crouched behind an overturned table.

One man was still alive, and he stood, taking aim at the open target Ben provided.

Ben turned to him, his eyes blazing with unreleased white heat. As soon as Ben caught him in his sights, the gun flew from his hand and the man rose thrashing with fear into the air. With a cry, the energy that had been building in Ben from the first explosion was violently expelled, and the man twisted into a bomb of red. The tidal wave gushed down and coated the floor and everyone in the vicinity.

For the first time blood spattered on her face which hadn't come from the other children. Dumbly, Vanya's hand rose to it, smearing the liquid deeper into her skin when she had meant to rub it out.

Klaus sprinted to catch Ben as he faltered and fell down.

The shock of Ben's attack sent the eldritch scurrying back into Diego's skin, snapping inside with ferocity and frightening speed, throwing him back with another moan of pain. It was almost like they had been seeking refuge from their former host.

While Allison and Luther went to him, Five ran to Vanya.

"Are you okay?"

Her hand reached for his face unconsciously, thumbing a gash on his brow. "Are _you_?"

"I'll live." He said grimly. "Ben and Diego need to go to the infirmary though. Can you get Mom?"

Nodding, they only parted when Five could bring himself to sever their contact, nuzzling her palm before turning away to help Klaus lift up an unconscious Ben.

Vanya walked quietly to Reginald's study.

Her _Dad_ looked ready to tear himself to pieces (a mental image she shouldn't have conjured for herself after what she had just seen, Vanya thought with a shudder). Every time he attempted to walk out the door his body betrayed him and brought him to a halt. Pogo had even tried to drag him outside, but had little success.

"Miss Vanya!" Pogo exclaimed, taking in the sight of her.

"Mom. Ben and Diego are hurt." Vanya told Grace, who rose to her feet and hurried from the room to inspect her children.

"What happened?" Reginald demanded.

"I wasn't there when it happened, but four men attacked the academy. They used explosives to get past the main door and were armed with guns." She replied, dazedly sharing what little information she knew. Vanya glanced around the room as she spoke, at the inanimate faces of the other children in the photographs that lined the walls, at the portrait of Reginald which loomed above all else. The collection of expensive vases, the uncomfortable seats, the Brobdingnagian desk he never seemed to shrink behind. It was a cold room. Out of every room in the house, each of which she loathed for varying terrible memories, this was the one she hated the most.

"Diego killed three of them; Ben the fourth." She finished.

Reginald looked terrified when he asked: "Ben used the power?"

Vanya suddenly found herself sneering at him, a sudden flash of anger breaking her from her shock. "Ben used _my_ power. And if he hadn't, he'd be dead right now."

"Number Seven..."

"I hope you rot in here." Vanya told Reginald, closing his study door on the way out and ignoring his shouted demands that she return. She didn't stop marching away until she reached the infirmary and was able to pluck the notebook from Five's pocket, determined to read it from page to page.

* * *

NaNo went appalling after I was struck down with illness, so I abandoned my target and resumed TUA work. This feels a bit messy but I think my brain's still a little addled from whatever I had. I think there's also an increasing chance this story will end up with an additional chapter instead of the five I had tried to force myself to stick to. But we'll see how things go!

As always, let me know what you think with kudos or (preferably) comments - I have a mass of planned TUA stories so I need all the motivation I can get to plough on. Thanks for taking the time to read 3


	5. Emergence

Five kept a tight hold of Vanya's waist (cursing as his fractured finger throbbed under the effort), more worried about hurting her than losing his grip. Allison was just beyond Vanya's grasp, her eyes wide, bewildered as Vanya ranted about lying and betrayal while trying to claw at her.

Really, Five was tempted to let go. He'd never seen Vanya so livid – even when she'd returned from meeting Dad and snatched the notebook from his pocket, anger flickering in her eyes. Anger was rarely seen from her, and, from the way she flailed against him, it seemed the emotion was making her stronger than usual. While he knew it was unlikely she could beat Allison in a fight – considering all of Allison's training – he would put good money on her pulling a chunk out of Three's hair before she could be stopped, and was rather curious to see if he could be proved right.

"I can't believe this! You knew the entire time!" Vanya screeched.

"What is going o-on?" Diego demanded, dumbfoundedly watching the scene from the side lines. He had just joined them in the hall, his stomach freshly bandaged and still hunched in discomfort from the wiggling eldritch, but in no mood to stay in the infirmary so soon after the house had been attacked.

"Vanya, _chill out_ – Dad will hear you," Klaus yelled.

"Knew what?" Allison shouted in response, her surprise morphing into annoyance.

Vanya waved Dad's red notebook in her hand. "Stop _lying_ to me. It says it right here. How could you do this to me?" She cried, tears filling her eyes.

Five tugged her more firmly against his chest and moved them away from Allison.

"Vanya," he spoke to her under his breath, holding her close as she heart-heartedly tugged against his hold, "calm down."

She shot him a furious look, her eyes still red from her earlier bout of hysterics – brought on by whatever the fuck that notebook had revealed. Five had tried to soothe her, pulling her outside the infirmary and reminding her how much of an asshole their adopted father was. Then Allison – who was pacing the hallway while Ben and Diego received treatment and Luther went to debrief Reginald about the attack – had muttered something about Vanya being overly sensitive. Usually, Vanya would try to muffle her tears, fearful of reproach, but to everyone's surprise, she had instead lunged for her sister's throat.

"What happened?" He asked next, trying not to provoke her further. Five knew she was uncomfortable enough as it was, the energy from his powers building but lacking the knowledge of how to use them. Not to mention whatever had happened in Reginald's office, which had sent her in pursuit of the notebook.

"Read it." She told him despairingly. "She knew – she _knew_ I had powers."

Vanya turned back to Allison, baring her teeth as she howled another accusation. "How could you?"

"What is she _talking_ about?" Allison asked him, her tone condescending and not productive to calming the situation.

"Allison, why don't we check on Ben?" Klaus suggested, unexpectedly jumping into the role of the mediator. "I said I'd take him some food."

"He's not eating anything, Klaus." Allison sighed.

"He might be hungry now. Let's try." He encouraged.

Shooting another disparaging look towards Vanya, sick of her hysterics, Allison agreed and followed Klaus back to the infirmary.

Once the door shut behind them, Vanya sagged in Five's arms. Keeping one hand around her waist in case she gave chase, Five took the notebook and flipped forward to the section he hadn't yet read.

In the meantime, Diego had stepped up to calm down Vanya – a disaster in the making, one Five would usually try to avoid but he was caught on the passage which had provoked Vanya's wrath.

"Look, I know it's weird having powers all of a sudden. But you just have to deal with it, okay?" Diego said. "The last thing we need is you going _ps-psycho_."

Five suddenly found himself holding onto thin air, as Vanya teleported out of his arms and onto Diego's back with a frenzied yell.

"Vanya!" Five yelled, more awed than accusatory. "Get down."

"Argh, get her off me!" Diego shouted, raising his arms to defend his already bandaged face.

Running forward, Five tugged Vanya back into his embrace and peered down at her curiously. "You seem to be getting the hang of teleporting." He praised.

"What the fuck was..."

Five cut Diego off. "Maybe you should check on Mom or something."

Casting Vanya a seething gaze, Diego stalked off, leaving the pair alone – muttering all the while about being the only sane person in the house.

"What has gotten into you?" Five chuckled, finding it hard to be the voice of reason when his best friend was acting so uncharacteristically energetic.

"Have you read it yet?" Vanya sighed, slumping against him.

"I'm getting to it." He said, keeping one arm around her shoulders while his uninjured hand flipped through the pages. "From what I've just seen though, I'm guessing Dad had Allison rumour you into forgetting your powers?"

"Yeah."

His sense of humour lost, Five focused on reading the passage about the suppression of Vanya's powers. "Well, at least we know it's just the medication that was used to stop your powers. Which means we know how to keep them active once this is over?"

"Should we?" Vanya asked, the energy draining from her rapidly now she had successfully teleported again. "Do you think Dad would have gone to all of this trouble if my powers didn't need to be suppressed? Look at what Ben did today, Five. They're clearly dangerous. Even Ben can't control them and his powers are...maybe once all of this is over, and we're back to normal, I should keep taking them. At least I know the truth now."

"Vanya, we can train you. Just because Dad gave up, it doesn't mean you should. Because I know I won't. I'll help you every step of the way, we'll figure this out." He told her, meaning every word.

"Let's see how Ben handles it." She compromised. "Besides, before we decide anything we need to get our powers back to normal. And figure out who attacked the Academy."

"I'll go see if Pogo has made any progress on the device. Luther and the others can deal with securing the Academy again." Five agreed, happy to have a plan they could enact. He didn't let her go however, tucking the notebook back in his pocket so he could circle another arm around her body.

"What did you say to Dad?"

"That I hope he stays in his office forever and rots in there," Vanya mumbled.

"You're amazing." He grinned into her hair.

"He's going to kill me when he gets out of there."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"Okay, well he won't kill me but he'll probably ship me off to a boarding school halfway across the country."

His grasp on her tightened at the thought. "I wouldn't let him."

"When do we ever let him do anything? He's our guardian, what he says goes."

"Not now. Not after what he's done." Five said, the weight of the notebook heavy against him. "Not now we have evidence."

"What do you mean?" Vanya squinted up at him, her eyes still rimmed red.

"Every horrible thing he's ever done to us is all in that notebook, in his own handwriting." Five pointed out. "This might be our ticket to escape. Maybe we could get away from him for good? Appeal for emancipation or something. Then we could get away from here."

Vanya snorted at the suggestion. "His lawyers would tear us to shreds."

"We'll give it to the press then. The publicity will destroy him." He persevered, not wanting Reginald to get away with what he had done. "Or we can do what we always planned. We can run? Keep the notebook as insurance to stop him from following us."

"Five, if we thought it would be hard getting away from him before…" Vanya began. If she was as powerful as Ben had seemed today, Reginald would do anything to keep them under his control.

"That's all the more reason to. And it's perfect for us now, Dad's locked in his office – there's no way he could track us until we're too far gone."

Looking up at him pleadingly, Vanya continued to argue. "We can't leave the others like this. We need to fix this."

"Fine. We'll fix this. Then we leave?" He pushed.

Sighing, she fell back into his hold and said she'd think about it.

"That's all I ask." Five grinned, pressing a grateful kiss to the top of her head. He knew they needed to get out of there, he hadn't been lying earlier when he said Reginald couldn't get away with what he had done to her. Dad wouldn't let things return to a status quo. Something would happen because of this, and he didn't want to think about what that might be.

Reluctantly pulling away from him, he watched Vanya retreat back to the infirmary to check on Ben – still under the misguided belief that his suffering was her fault.

"Try not to kill Allison while you're there." He called out after her.

She turned briefly to stick out her tongue, then resumed walking.

Five watched her go before checking in on Pogo, who was in his workshop with the device. So far he hadn't inadvertently caused any more switches, but he hadn't got them back to normal yet either.

To his absolute horror, he found Klaus in there – _alone_ – looking at the device with an expression of failing restraint.

"Step away." He commanded lowly.

Klaus looked up but stayed where he was. "Why don't we just press it over and over again until we all get the right powers back?"

"How do you feel at the moment?" Five asked sharply, noticing the slight sheen on Klaus' forehead.

"A little weird." His brother admitted. "On edge, I guess."

"Yes, a feeling that gets more intense the more switches we undergo and the longer we're without our own powers. Pogo thinks our physiology isn't designed to handle any power other than our own and that's why," he lightly shoved Klaus back, "we're not activating the device again until we know what we're doing."

"It was just an idea." Klaus pouted.

"I thought you didn't want your powers back, anyway?" Five said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I don't." He scoffed. "But Ben…"

_Ben_. Ben, who had liquified one of the men who had attacked the Academy. Ben, who was in agony under the strain of Vanya's powers.

"…I don't think he can handle this for much longer." Klaus confessed. "He didn't look good when I went to see him. His eyes are still white, I don't think they'll change back. He told me he felt like he has this energy inside him and there's no way for him to release it without hurting someone."

"We'll figure it out, Klaus." Five said. He felt like he was saying that a lot; the reassurance no closer to becoming a reality than the last time he said it.

Klaus snorted. "I won't figure out shit. I can't even figure out Algernon."

"Algebra." Five corrected.

"That too."

Five exhaled noisily, ignoring Klaus' manic grin. "Where's Pogo?"

"Trying to drag Dad out of his office again." Klaus laughed. "It's a shame you said we had to turn the security cameras off. I wouldn't mind watching that a few hundred times."

"We don't want him to know what we we're up to."

"Shame this all has to end eventually, isn't it?"

"Let's just focus on restoring our powers first, shall we?" Five said, not wanting to voice his plan to run aloud to Klaus – who would undoubtedly share it with the rest of the Academy before Five could blink. "We'll worry about what comes next when we come to it."

"Fine. I'll rumour Pogo into coming back here."

Klaus pushed past Five.

"You know what they say about absolute power, don't you Klaus?"

"That it's fucking awesome?" The yelled reply came from down the hall as his brother ran off.

"Not quite." Five muttered to himself, turning back to look at the device.

The symbols on the edges, the ones Pogo was no closer to figuring out than when the device first turned up, looked back at him uncaringly. The sight of them was practically etched on the backs of his eyelids, he saw them whenever he closed his eyes to sleep – which wasn't very much these days, between the extra training sessions the children had organised to get a handle on their new powers and examining the device. He only went to bed when Vanya went looking for him and persuaded him to lie down with a gentle hand on his arm and the promise to stay with him.

Pogo wandered back into the room, his eyes still slightly misty from Klaus' latest rumour, and he bent over the device. Immediately he reached out a hand and triggered it – the three sides dropping open and the light emitting once more. Five had just enough time to scream, "For fuck's sake, Klaus!" before the white glow eclipsed them all again.

Stumbling back, Five grabbed Pogo more harshly than intended and threw him back from the device with all his might. The chair Pogo hurtled into smashed under his weight.

A wave of dizziness crashed over Five and he tried in vain to remain upright but ended up staggering into the nearest wall. As he slumped over, he looked at the device with pure hate – wanting to snarl at it, to smash it into unrecognisable parts while cursing its existence – and yet, somehow, as he looked at it for the thousandth time he was hit with the sudden realisation that he had been looking at it all wrong.

Holding up his hands, Five immediately tried to teleport, but to his dismay found it was still impossible.

He quickly walked over to Pogo, helped him to his feet, apologised for losing his temper, asked him to keep working on the device and stalked out to the hall.

"Family meeting." He yelled.

Vanya immediately responded, hurrying down the stairs. "Five," she said, tears filling her eyes. His arms automatically extended towards her.

"I have Klaus'." She mumbled into his shoulder. "Why wouldn't he tell me there was a ghost living in my room?"

Five grimaced, having heard about the resident ghoul from Klaus before. He had threatened his brother's teeth to incentivise him into not revealing that fact to Vanya, for fear of terrifying her.

"Whose do you have?" She asked hesitantly.

"I don't know."

"What happened?"

"Klaus." Five said, uttering his name like it was a curse.

Once his family had gathered, Ben already looking considerably better, they quickly worked to identify who had which power. Allison had her hands over her ears, which suggested Vanya's straight away. Luther's stomach ached with Ben's eldritch. Klaus could lift Ben up in the air. And Diego – lucky son of a bitch – had somehow ended up with his own powers.

His smug smile was insufferable.

"You must have my power then." Five told Ben.

"Which means you have _mine __again_," Allison said, irritation radiating from her in waves. "At least you should be slightly more sensible than _some_ people were."

"Ben's better, isn't he?" Klaus retorted, waving a hand at a pain-free Number Six.

"And now _I_ have it." She hissed back, the high pitched tone of her own voice making her flinch in discomfort.

"Karma," Vanya mumbled; still audible to Allison and Five who stood beside her.

"Bitch." Allison bit back.

"Lying psychopath."

Diego cackled while Luther tried to call order between the pair.

"Look, I know we're all on edge…"

Allison growled at him.

"Look, Five, will you at least undo the rumours on Dad now? This is stupid. We're no closer to figuring out what's happening than when our powers were first switched. We need his help!"

"It'll be Allison who ends up getting drugged this time, Luther," Vanya said, no hesitance in talking back to Number One – someone she usually shied away from. "Bet you'll care then."

"She's got you there, Luther," Diego smirked.

"Dad won't drug anyone…"

Vanya snorted loudly over Luther's lacklustre assurance, and Five beamed at her. While he knew her sudden brazenness resulted from the power switches and no longer taking the drugs Dad had prescribed for her, he couldn't help but admire it on her.

"Who wants to bet twenty that he does?" Klaus called out.

"No one's getting drugged." Five said before more tempers could flare. "Because I'm not undoing shit."

"Five…"

"_Luther_." He said firmly, ignoring the uncharacteristic despair on his brother's face. "I have an _idea_. Let me run with it."

"Or you'll rumour me?" Luther said dubiously.

"I'm not rumouring one of _us_." Five replied, meaning it. Knowing Vanya's life had been irrevocably changed by one – he knew he couldn't do something like that to his family. Thankfully for all of them, he didn't include Reginald Hargreeves under the definition of family.

"What's your idea?" Ben said, speaking before Luther could push further.

"We've been looking at this wrong. Pogo and I, _and_ Dad before us," Five told Luther pointedly, "have been looking at this as a language. Trying to translate it. Or as a code, something to decrypt. Pogo theorised that the symbols on the device would explain how the device worked."

"Makes sense," Luther said, automatically agreeing with Pogo's stance even though Five had just pronounced that he had been wrong.

"If it's not a language, what is it?" Vanya said, asking the right question. He gave her a fond smile, feeling proud of her.

"It's math." Five announced, his grin growing.

Klaus groaned. "Who knew it could get worse?"

"Math, _I_ can work with." Five countered.

"I still think we should ask Dad for help," Luther said. "He's good at math too, and we need this solved as fast as possible."

"How many times do we h-have to have this argument?" Diego groaned.

"Twenty-four hours." Five suggested. "Give me twenty-four hours and if I haven't figured it out by then, I'll undo the rumour on Dad. Deal?"

Luther looked around the room unsurely and, seeing he was getting no support, agreed to the terms.

* * *

Vanya had wanted to probe further into Five's announcement, wondering how those bizarre symbols could be translated mathematically and how that could help them, but with Five's self-imposed deadline she didn't want to hinder him. Instead, she made herself useful and went down to the kitchen to make him a snack. When Five sunk his teeth into a problem, he wouldn't surface for anything, not even to take care of himself. The least she could do was make sure he continued to eat.

Pulling a loaf out the cupboard, she set about finding his favourite brand of peanut butter and a bag of marshmallows – the large marshmallows he liked, not the small ones Mom put in their cocoa.

"You're not seriously going to eat that, are you? It looks disgusting." Allison said critically as she assembled the concoction.

"It's for Five," Vanya replied, her haughty tone unintentionally replicating the sort Allison typically used when speaking to her.

"Well, it still looks gross. And it doesn't exactly match the diet Dad has us on." She continued, entering the room and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Vanya glanced her way, seeing that her sister was alone, before focusing on cutting the sandwich into perfectly proportioned squares and arranging them neatly on the plate. If this was the one useful thing she could do today, she would do it right.

"So you're stuck with Klaus' powers, huh?" Allison said, trying to steer the conversation in the direction she wanted. "Tough luck there."

"It's not so bad." Vanya replied. She'd barely seen any ghosts since the one in her bedroom; the austerely dressed woman who glared at her while she shrieked and ran away in terror. A ghost who apparently lived in the room as much as she did; another point in Five's favour for running away.

"Not much use in a fight though, is it? And it's not like you have any hand-to-hand knowledge. I bet you don't even know how to use a gun." Allison mused.

"And whose fault is that?" Vanya bit back, picking up the plate and preparing to march her way from the room.

"Dad wouldn't have done what he did if it wasn't necessary," Allison said, her usual confidence wavering slightly with the statement, but she remained firm in denying any culpability.

"Including lying? Telling me every day of my life that I'm only ordinary." Vanya said, frowning as she said the words. "_Only_ ordinary. You know, that's what Dad told you to tell me? That I think I'm only ordinary. Exactly that – only ordinary. That I could never be anything other than ordinary. Was that necessary? Was it necessary to make me think I'm _nothing_? To feel worthless every day of my life?"

"Your powers are dangerous. You saw what Ben did."

"That's an excuse. None of us _chose_ the powers we got. Have you seen Klaus lately – you don't think he looks happier now he never sees ghosts…"

"Well, there you go. You got that freedom."

"But I never _knew_ it was a freedom." She persisted. "He could have explained it to me. The drugs stop my powers, he could have told me they were dangerous – I would have taken the pills."

"Would you?" Allison countered, grasping at straws.

Truthfully, Vanya didn't know. She wasn't willing to give Dad the excuse, however.

"I shouldn't have attacked you before," Vanya said. "I know that. But how would you like it if someone did this to you? To someone you actually cared about?"

She didn't wait for an answer; Vanya knew the reality of their relationship. Marching from the room, Vanya headed for the classroom Five had sequestered to work on his new equations.

Pogo was perched on a chair in the corner, peering at Five's frantic scribbles with curiosity.

"It is an interesting idea," Pogo said when he noticed Vanya. "I am still working on the language approach, however. We need to get this fixed as soon as possible after all, so we should work every angle as they say."

She nodded at him but didn't engage him in conversation. She still didn't think she was ready for that yet. Given how on edge she felt today, her emotions constantly in flux, Vanya wasn't prepared for another conversation with someone complicit in the suppression of her powers.

Instead, she went to Five's side and placed a sandwich on the nearest table. She had planned to walk away, not even attempting to say anything which might distract him, but he surprised her by laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Vanya?"

"Oh, Five. I didn't mean to disturb you." She automatically apologised. "I just thought you'd want a snack at some point."

He glanced at the sandwich and thanked her but didn't drop his grasp. He directed her attention to the blackboard.

"I think this device was made for us."

"For the Academy?" Vanya frowned, looking at the blackboard with no real clue what she was seeing.

"For _all_ of us." Five clarified, moving away from the board to look at the device again. They'd moved it from the workshop to one of the classroom desks. "There are seven key symbols. _Seven_. Whoever built this intended for it to affect you, too. From what I can see without touching it too much, the device has several central panels inside the pyramid. Each one is assigned to us. You see this symbol?"

His finger outlined a swirling figure that almost looked like an 'e' without touching the surface.

"I think this is a four." He continued to point to different figures. "That would be the two, and there's the seven. From what I can tell, each side is somehow – don't ask me how, fuck knows how I'll ever figure that out when I can't even touch it – is somehow connected to us. When the device is activated, it takes our powers from our physical bodies and transfers them. But from what I can see, the transference is done at random. That's how Diego ended up with his own powers back this time. What I'm trying to do is figure out the transferral equation and establish whether I can purposefully input a new equation to put all our powers back into the correct body."

Vanya smiled at him softly.

"What?"

"You're brilliant." She told him, watching his eyes brighten from the praise.

"Let's see if this works first, shall we?" He joked, the pride not dissipating from his face regardless of his false modesty.

"I have faith in you."

"Good. It's nice to know I have at least one member of this family on my side."

"Always."

"Do you mean that?" He said, back to seriousness.

She knew what he was asking. "Yes."

"Yes?"

Vanya looked unsurely at Pogo who, sure enough, was watching them. He cleared his throat before looking back down at his notes.

"Yes." She repeated, knowing they couldn't discuss it any further with Pogo here. Five still understood what she was communicating, though, as he drew her into a tight hug – getting chalk on her uniform as he did.

"Will you stay here while I work?" Five asked. "You're always good at listening to me while I theorise. Usually, I come up with an idea while I'm talking to you."

"Sure." Vanya agreed easily, taking a chair and placing it close to the blackboard, already feeling more comfortable now she was back by Five's side. Hopefully, none of the other children would try to talk to her like Allison had. All already anticipating the restoration of their powers and the reinstatement of the status quo: with the Academy returning to their perch while Vanya dutifully swallowed her pills. It was a conversation that had ultimately made up her mind for her.

While she had always loved the idea of running away with Five – finally being free from the house, from Dad, from the lies, from the constant fear of Five getting hurt – the love for her siblings kept holding her back. That was now added to with the knowledge of her dangerous powers – how would she control them without pills, which she could only get from Dad?

Yet the thought of actually returning to that past, the reality of it; not just having no powers, but dampened emotions. Potentially the lie too if Dad made Allison rumour her again. And after speaking with Allison, she knew her sister would do it. Vanya, whoever she was with powers, would be caged again. Trapped without even knowing they were trapped.

No. She'd rather leap into the unknown. If she had Five with her, she felt confident they could make it. As he said before; like he said all the time – he was smart – he would figure it all out.

She worked idly on some French homework while Five continued to scrawl over the blackboard, occasionally making passing comments to her which always encouraged him whenever there was a pause in his work.

Pogo left them after a few hours to see to preparing dinner – declaring that the children had to keep eating. It was a moment Five had evidently been waiting for because as soon as Pogo was gone, the chalk slipped out of his hand and he was standing before her.

"You're sure?"

"Yes." Vanya replied confidently.

"Because if we do this there is no coming back."

"I understand."

"Then there are some things I need to do before I put my work into action."

"You're nearly finished?" Vanya asked, looking at the chaotic blackboard.

"Already solved it." Five said, bristling with pride.

"What…" She cried, leaping from the chair.

"Once I figured out I was looking at it wrong, it was surprisingly easy to piece together. Almost like whoever put this together wanted me to solve it." Five mused. "But I needed to talk to you before we could do anything, and I couldn't do that with Pogo here. The cameras are off though, so we can discuss this now."

"Okay." Vanya drawled, wondering what he had in mind.

"I will rumour Dad." Five announced. "I'll rumour him into giving us enough money to get by and then I'll rumour him into not looking for us when we leave. I'll activate the device after that, we'll get our powers back, and then we're walking out that front door and never looking back. Allison will probably undo the rumour at some point, once they've realised what we've done, but we'll have gotten far enough away by then that we can disappear. Okay?"

His eyes scanned hers, looking for any trace of doubt that could undermine their plan.

"Okay." She repeated, giving him that small smile she only ever gave him; the one he loved. The one he could love if they escaped.

"Although…"

Five groaned.

"What about the others?" Vanya smiled. "I know Luther and Allison won't want to go…"

"Vanya, we can't." Five told her, remorseful but firm. "He'll never let that many of us go, and you know the more of us there are the harder it will be for us to disappear. People like us – we draw attention to ourselves. Some of us more than others. One member of the Academy disappearing can be dealt with. Several members at once? There would be too many questions. It needs to just be us. For now, anyway. We can reach out once they're older and can move out on their own."

"Dad will push them twice as hard without you around. It'll be dangerous for them."

He sighed unhappily.

"I'll talk to Ben, see if he would consider leaving. I'm not trusting any of the others with this unless Ben thinks anyone else would want to go; which they might not." He stressed. "Keep an eye on my work. If Pogo comes back, tell him I went to the toilet or something."

Vanya wrapped her arms around Five's neck and, despite hesitating for a second, he returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Five. I at least need to know we asked, or I'll never be able to live with myself for leaving them behind."

"You and your bleeding heart." He teased good-naturedly as he pulled away.

"Too late to complain now," Vanya joked, "you're stuck with me."

"No one else I'd rather be stuck with." Five said gruffly, cupping her cheek with his hand. Vanya leant into the touch and watched him happily.

"Good. Because if I'm staying off these pills permanently, I might be a handful."

Five grinned mischievously, feeling bold. "No one else I'd rather have a ha…"

She poked him in the ribs sharply, seeing where he was going. "_Five_."

He held up his hands in fake surrender. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. You sure you'll be able to put up with me?"

"I'm sure. You are my favourite person you know."

"In this house? Pretty sure that's not saying much."

"In the world."

Five snorted. "Still not sure that's saying much. But me too. I mean, you're my favourite person too. I meant it, you know, there's no one else I'd rather do this with."

She found herself smiling back at him. Her heart swelled with his words. "I love you, Five." Vanya found herself saying, blushing as the words left her mouth without permission.

"I love you too." He replied readily, brushing the hair back from her face when Vanya tried to hide behind it.

"You don't have to say it just because I did." She readily excused him.

"Hey, don't do that." Five protested. "You know me. I don't say things unless I mean them. And I mean it – I love you."

Her blush intensified tenfold, yet she was unable to look away from his soft gaze.

Hesitantly, watching her reaction with intense scrutiny, Five closed the gap between them until they shared the same air. His nose nudged against her own and he rubbed back and forth, prompting a delighted giggle from Vanya. He shared her light laughter, twisting his hands into her hair and encouraging her closer. Their lips barely connected for a second, the weight of their current situation too strong for them to let their guards down that easily, but it was enough.

They beamed at each other, even more confident in their futures than they had originally been.

"We'll get through this." Five promised, disentangling himself from her arms. "I'll figure this out."

"I know you will," Vanya said, reluctantly letting him go. Pogo should be back any moment and there was no sense in getting caught like this.

"Go." She told him. "I'll be here."

Five gave her one last lingering look then hurried out the door to find Ben.


	6. Epilogue: Flight

"I think we've seen enough, don't you?" The Handler said, dropping the folder back down on Frank's desk.

"We haven't got to the apocalypse year yet." Frank protested. "We don't know what the outcome will be."

"The outcome is already evident. The apocalypse will either happen prematurely when Vanya Hargreeves loses control of her powers, which have been activated earlier in the time stream. Or Five will teach her to control them, in which case the apocalypse will never occur. Neither of which adheres to the correct order of things."

Frank continued to protest, hoping that if the Commission allowed this new timestream to continue, they could make a stronger case for the abandonment of the apocalypse as a fixed moment. That the Commission would finally see sense and let them undo the mistake that should have never happened to begin with.

"We don't know that. Leonard Peabody – Harold Jenkins…"

"Oh please, Frank. You have eyes, don't you? Harold would never get a foot in the door. Did you ever meet Agent Five? He carried her book with him every day; they are an inevitability. The timeline needs to be restored."

She leaned over his desk, her white-blonde hair falling in her face as she stared him down. "If you're not the man to do the job…"

"I didn't say that," Frank said, not wanting to let her continue. He didn't need reminding that his neck was on the line. "I simply do not understand why we cannot let this alternative timeline continue. Given the vitality of this event, isn't it better that we collect as much data as we can from this variation? So we know how to counter any other threats that could arise to jeopardise it? This could give us valuable insight into Vanya Hargreeves' powers and her mindset when they're active. Not to mention collecting more information that could be used against Agent Five. We can restore the timeline at any point, we have the means. But how often will we get an opportunity like this?"

The Handler looked at him critically, wondering what game he was playing.

"I will review the matter with the Directors. We're meeting later tonight to discuss the unauthorised attack on the Umbrella Academy, which prematurely triggered Vanya Hargreeves' powers. An investigation will have to be launched, of course."

Frank kept his face clear; there was no way it could be tied back to him. He knew how to clean up after himself.

"But rest assured, Frank. If the Directors come to the same conclusion I do, there will be no further discussion of the matter."

"Understood. If the word comes back, I will correct the timeline myself." He said with confidence, projecting the part expected of him.

"Very well. But you know this cannot last, Frank. Give up your illusions." She warned, watching him carefully as she sauntered from the room. Only when the door clicked shut did Frank allow himself an exhalation of relief.

They had time. And in this business, time was everything.

* * *

_Okay, I know some of you will be disappointed that I didn't show the restoration of their powers and the fall out but I wanted to leave an open ending so you could all decide on a happy ending - Five & Vanya run away and the timeline is maintained - or an angsty ending - the Commission undoes everything. Also, I just really don't want to write this story anymore!_

_Finally, I know updates are due on Newton's Apple, Polchinski's Paradox and my Then & Now series, but my dog died, then I had two relatives hospitalised, so to be honest my creativity has been a little lacklustre lately. I'm working on it. I hope you're all staying safe in these bizarre times we're living in 3_


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